May 25, 2007 3 min read

FARMINGTON – Thirty-five years after it was established as Pioneer Crafts Council, Touchstone Center for Crafts in Farmington steadfastly continues its mission of advancing excellence in the arts and crafts. Touchstone, Pennsylvania’s only residential crafts school, will celebrate the 35th anniversary of its founding today with an informal ceremony beginning at 2:30 p.m., followed by light refreshments and cake. The public is invited to attend.

Touchstone began as Pioneer Crafts Council, which was incorporated May 25, 1972. The council was established to foster interest in and the preservation of the history and techniques of traditional mountain crafts for contemporary use.

Early on, Pioneer Crafts Council was based in Mill Run, conducting its activities in the Mill Run Grange Hall. Then in 1982, Pioneer Crafts Council purchased Camp Dunneback (at the time a camp for boys) in Farmington. Some existing buildings were converted into art studios, additional cabins were built, and the campus was renamed Touchstone Center for Crafts. The campus attained its current size of 150-plus acres in 1995, when 60 additional acres were purchased.

Today’s ceremony will acknowledge the special contributions of several individuals who have become synonymous with Touchstone, with the naming of the Robert Little Painting Studio and Kinard and Campbell Halls.

Robert W. Little, a founding member of Pioneer Crafts Council and founder of the Nature Printing Society, designed Touchstone’s teasel logo (a teasel’s dried flower head was traditionally used in carding fibers for spinning).

James and Agnes Kinard also were founding members of Pioneer Crafts Council and both helped lead Touchstone throughout its history. Agnes Kinard currently serves on the board of directors. Jim and Bea Campbell have served Touchstone in a variety of capacities, but Jim Campbell has primarily been associated with Touchstone’s blacksmith program and the Hart Moore Blacksmith studio, while Bea Campbell became involved in 1982 and 16 years ago established the Touchstone gift shop, which she still manages.

Through the years, Touchstone’s class offerings have evolved to include a broad cross-section of traditional, contemporary, experimental and state-of-the-art techniques in blacksmithing, ceramics, fiber, glass, metals and jewelry, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, weaving and more for beginners and experienced artists.

Class offerings are “family-friendly,” with workshops for adults and activities children. The campus features eight art studios, a dining hall, great lodge with gift shop, gallery and library and a variety of overnight accommodations, including cabins and dormitories. The public is welcome to attend additional 35th anniversary special events, which will be held in the months ahead.

Touchstone is located at 1049 Wharton Furnace Road in Farmington. To learn more, visit the Web site at www.touchstonecrafts.com or call 1-800-721-0177.